THE CHARITY-'GIRL
I Oy EFFIE A. ROWLANDS I
CHATTER XIV. (Continued.)
Dr. Sentance's hopeful prognostica
tions were fulfilled. Jack glendurwood
awoke after that long, heavy sleep a dif
ferent "being. It was evening when the
slumber left him, and at once his gaze
went round the room in search of that
lovely girlish face that had haunted his
dreams so delightfully.
"Audrey!" he whispered, faintly, and
some one came hurriedly out of the dusk
and knelt beside the bed.
They said no words, only his hand
clasped itself round her two little ones,
and he lay gazing at her sweet eyes as
though they were heaven itself.
"Now you have turned the corner, and
lire going on well, I am going to look
after your wife, Lord John," Dr. Sen
tance said, cheerily.
"My wife !" What a world of passion
ate tenderness; even though it was whis
pered and not spoken, rang in those two
little words! Audrey's heart thrilled.
"She must rest; she is young, and
needs plenty of sleep, and she has been
fretting over you in a most terrible fash
Ion. Come, Lady John, you can leave his
lordship with a light heart, for he could
not possibly be better. The best nurse,
absolutely the best nurse I have ever had,
Mrs. Frascr!" he declared, pleasantly.
Sheila Fraser did not return to Din
glewood, nor did she vouchsafe to, corre
spond with her stepmother. She remain
ed on in London, a victim to the most
bitter disappointment and mortification.
For nearly two minutes Sheila - and
Beverley were struck speechless as Lady
Daleswater rushed In with her bad news.
The girl had turned ashen white, and
ueveriey s nanas ciiucueu vuemocivco in
voluntarily. Lady Daleswater recovered
herself first.
"Who is this gentleman?" she asked
coldly, feeliag annoyed that she had be
trayed her family affairs before a com
plete stranzer.
Beverley answered her at once.
"I am a man to whom this intelli
gence is more painful than you can pos
sibly Imagine, Lady Daleswater," an-
swered Beverley.
"Mr. Beverley Rochfort means that
he is madly in love with this girl, who
has flung herself at your brother's head,"
said Sheila sullenly. "It will be better
to explain everything to you, dear Lady
Daleswater."
The countess listened attentively; she
was so deeply enraged with her mother,
brother and the poor innocent. little crea
ture who bad allied herself to the ducal
family, that every nerve thrilled, to be
able to seize upon something, however
faint, that might be worked upon to bring
about an annulment of this odious mar
riage. She uttered a sharp exclamation ;
it almost sounded like joy as she listened.
"All Is not so bad," she cried. "Sheila,
don't you, understand? -Mr. Rochfort,
as this creature's guardian, cannot only
object to the marriage, but, according to
the letter of the bond he holds, can in
sist on the girl living where he wishes.
Mr. Uochfart, that piece of paper must
be in my lawyers' hands to-night; and
unless I am very much mistaken, they
wili ratify -what I say that you will
have absolute and entire control over the
girl."
Sheila's cheeks grew a shade rosier
as she heard Lady Daleswater's clear,
proud tones.
"The countess is right," she said to
Beverley, as they were alone; "you will
be able to break this absurd marriage.
You must ! You must !" .
"There are other ways of disposing of
the marriage tie besides simple annul
ment," he skid to himself, cynically, and
h smiled Into the flames. "If that course
fails, as fail it must, for we have not
a leg to stand upon, I don't think I shall
be very disheartened. My wits have nev
er failed me yet, and my day will come !''
It was quite nine o'clock and the earl
had just returned from Mounlberry, and
had poured an account of what had oc
curred between himself and the duchess
into his wife's ears. Lady Daleswater
was simply furious with resentment
against her mother, but she did not dis
cuss the matter further as Sheila came in.
The legal advisers of the earl and
countess had answered her ladyship's
hasty summons promptly, and all they
... '. i ...1 - ,.- nn.mi.lmr I ? Auli f m rf fy. on.
W 111 1UI nHD 1.. Willi' .UV1I1UL . ,W t f
pear. .
Just when conversation on the vexed
and important question was In full swing,
a note was brought in and handed to the
countess. She read it through, and grew
white to the lips with mortification.
"Mr. Kochfort has deserted us and gone
over to the enomy," she said, curtly, and
then she handed the letter to her husband
and bid him read it ajoud.
Beverley wrote very clearly and briefly
IIo hud already consulted his lawyer,
who had told- him promptly that any
question of annulling the marriage was
tig impossible p absurd ; therefore he beg'
gcd Lady Daleswater to accept his de
cided refusal to join her in this matter.
"I am sure when you are less, and, I
may1 say, justly, Incensed at this mar
riage," he wrote, "you will see that as a
man of honor I can do nothing but this,
for were I to enforce my guardianship, I
must rob Lady John Glendurwood of the
large fortune which was bequeathed her
ly Mr. Boderlck Anstruther on his death
bed. I regret that I can offer your lady
ship no avail In the matter."
"It Is a good move," he said, alone In
his rooms. "Of course, If that confound
ed paper would have stood the light of
day I would not have scrupled to use It,
4ut it Is too Xeeble a bridge to carry me
over. 'This other Is a safer and a surer
one! Once a friend in John Gleudur
wood'g house, the rest will be easy t" and
he laughed softly.
Boor, sweet, young Audrey, how little
.lid she know the storm clouds that were
gathering over her clouds born of Judas
like treachery, envious hate, mean spite,
Jt-graded passion, and other evil human
motives.
CHAPTER XV.
The excitement and gossip about Lord
John Gleudurwood's romantic marriage
lingered much longer than the proverbial
nine days.
A mouth passed away, and a curious
month it was to Audrey, livery day she
cjut with her . mother studying French
and Italian, and having her first lessons
un the piano and in singing. Audrey
uved in her dreams and in her studies.
.She was so strangely, incompreheusiBly
nappy. To define her condition of uiiud
would be an impossibility. It seemed to
uer as though some fairy had suddenly
touched her wiih a wand, and everything
about her had changed to this delightful
existence. In a dim, misty sort of way,
sim recognized that she had become a
rand lady, but that was not by any
means a certainty. .
he wrote often to Jean Thwait and
reiterated her vows of never-ending love,
oat somehow Jean's letters pained her
and left a sort of discomfort. '.
Jean, in fact, was alarmed at all that
had happened to her whilom friend, and
now that Audrey was a grand married
lady she was separated trom her humble
childhood's companion by a social chasm
ihey could never bridge over, therefore
Jean wrote timidly and with much con
straint, and both girls sighed over the
'simple yet . strong friendship which had
lived and now was ended.
March having come in like a lamb,
was going out in the most approved leon
ine fashion. How the wind blew, and
how dreary the gray skies looked above
the tossing trees.
"We shall have a fall of snow,- depend
upon it that is what is coming," declar
ed Dr. Sentance. "Take my advice, Lord
John, fold yourself up in as many rugs
as you can find, and flee away south to
the sun and the warm breezes.
"Where ought I to go?" he asked,
wearily.
"Well, I think Florence would be an
excellent spot. Suit both her ladyship
and yourself."
"I I am quite sure that Aud my wife
will never consent to this arrangement."
"Pray, why not?"
"She oh, well, hang it all, doctor, look
how she neglects me ! I might be dead
and buried and she wouldn't care! She
has never been near me for a month
never gince I was so bad !"
"It strikes me that you are a very
foolish young man, Lord John, if you
imagine your young wife doesn't care
anything about you, and as to her not
coming to gee you, well, I think if you
reflect a little you will agree with me
that so young a girl is apt to be shy and
modest. Modesty is so rare nowadays,
my lord, I would not try to do without it
if I were you."
The young man's cheeks were quite
healthy in color. '
"I dare say I am a fool, but I have
been worrying myself that, perhaps, Au
drey had married me only out of pity
when she thought I was dying and '
"And a lot more nonsense of the same
sort, of course," broke in the old doctor,
cheerily, his eyes twinkling as he spoke.
"You don't seem to realize, my lord,
that you are" the hero of a romance. It
is not every one who can boast of such
a marriage as yours, but, though romance
has Kg pleasant points, It also has its
disagreeable tones, and unless I am very
much mistaken, that sweet little maiden
will be ever so much happier when she
is rescued from the curious and carried
away for a time by her husband."
Jack Glendurwood nearly shook Dr.
Sentance's hand off.
"What an idiot I am !" he exclaimed.
"Most lovers are,", was the dry reply
"And you will take my advice about this
foreign trip?"
"I will go and find my my wife this
very moment, and If she agreea we will
start at once." '
CHAPTER XVI.
Audrey had finished her Italian read
ing and was sitting before the fire on a
low stool, playing with one of Jack's
dogs, who seemed to adopt her as their
mistress while he was ill, when the door
opened slowly behind her.
The duchess had had this little room
arranged for the girl especially ; It was
a dainty 'place, fit nest for so exquisite a
bird.
"I do believe Tat could speak If he
liked, mother dearest," Audrey laughed
softly, not looking round.
' "If any one could make him speak,
you could," a voice answered her, softly,
The girl sprang to her feet, while Pat,
a shaggy, rough-haired Dandy Dlnmont,
rnn forward with a whine of pleasure to
greet his master. Audrey's face was first
rosy and then white.
"Oh! What have you been doing?'
she cried In deepest anxiety. You
you " .
"I am walking across the room," Jack
laughed, very "gently; and I assure you
I feel better every step I take."
Audrey's heart was beating so wildly,
It seemed to send a thrill through all her
limbs. She was startled, and was Terr
shy and nervous. She had no Idea he
was so well as this ; it was a great shock
to turn round and see him standing .there,
smiling with his eyes and lips as he had
trf r Ho a
standstill before her, "are you not going
"I am very glad "
There she stopped, for he had sud
denly thrown his arms about her and
drawn her close to his heart.
"My dearest, my sweetest wife!" he
nurmured, passionately, while a flood of
olor rushed into her cheeks. "My own,
my very own !" and then, before she was
aware of it, he. had stooped and kissed
her lips softly, whispering tender words
all the while.
With an almost Inarticulate cry she
buried her face on his breast and clung
to him with a force which was the sweet
est sensation Jack Glendurwood had ever
experienced. lie saw then how wise the
old doctor had been, and was grateful
to the common sense that had prompted
him to end tho unsatisfactory condition
of affairs.
By and by he sat down In the bTg
chair, and she nestled on the floor beside
him, and holding and kissing her hands
alternately, Jack unfolded his plan for
taking her away directly.
Sentance says I must go, he added,
plaintively, as he waited for her answer.
It will cure me entirely."
"Then" she blushed quietly "then let
us go at once, my my darling."
And so, when Constance Fraser entered
the room a little while later, she found
the two sitting together, and learned that
as Boon as everything could be arranged,
the young couple were ready to start.
ith smiles and deepest blessings, they
took their departure a few days later.
Audrey bought a present for Jean In ev
ery foreign town she visited, and when
the season was over Jack had promised
she should have her poor little' school
friend to stay with her for as long as she
liked.
They had not settled where they would
live permanently, but they were both in
clined to Craiglands. Lord Iverne was
going to be taken abrond by his mother to
some mineral waters, and the poor fel
low had expressed a wish that his brother
and his bride would make Craiglands
their home for a time. '
"It will be so near mother," Audrey
had said, and Jack had not told her that
Mrs. Fraser would no longer inhabit Dln-
glewood House. He felt that It would
give her so much pain, and, besides, he
wag so ashamed and angry with Sheila
for her cruel conduct, that he determined
not to discuss her just yet.
There was no need to let Audrey
know how JSheila had behaved, for Mrs.
Fraser would go to Cronberg with the
Duchess of Harborough, and would in
all probability reside abroad for a few
months,
Audrey exclaimed with pleasure as
they drove into the pretty grounds at
Hurlingham, and was so lost in gazing
at them that she was quite unconscious
of the sensation her appearance ; was
causing the crowd of fashionables. Of
course, they had done nothing but discuss
the John Glendurwood marriage, and now
the sight of the young man s handsome
and well-known face revived the curi
osity and gossip afresh.
"Jack Glendurwood is here with his
wife! Have you seen them? What is
she like? A nurse girl, wasn't she? Of
course she is awful? What hardihood
to bring her out so soon ; she must be
raw, however pretty ! wnat will Miena
Fraser and Lady Gladys Daleswater do?"
These and'dozens of quick questions and
remarks of the like sort ran like wildfire
through the throng.
Jack was very calm. He lifted his
darling down and gave a few direction
to the groom, while Audrey looked around
her, a picture of exquisite simplicity and
unsurpassable loveliness in her soft-white
silk dress, with a little high white bon
net crowning her dark locks. She was
not only beautiful, she was that most
desired of all things, "good form."
From head to foot her attire Was per
fection. Constance Fraser had carefully
superintended this, and had chosen noth
ing but the prettiest and most youthful
dresses.
"I see our mothers," gald Audrey, turn
ing to her husband. ,
"Come along, we will go to them," re
turned Jack, who could scarcely conceal
a smile as he read the utter amazement
and admiration written on nearly every
face. Audrey walked through the crowd
quite easily. The strains of the band
sounded pleasantly in her ears, and she
smiled across to where her mother sat
waiting for her to come. The, duchess
bent toward Constance Fraser.
" "My dear," she said, warmly and ten
derly, "the' child has conquered already.
She is perfect ; look at her walk, at her
carriage. Why, there Is scarcely a wom
an here who can hold herself like Audrey
does. I am proud of her!"
Lady Daleswater was standing some
distance away from where her mother was
sitting. The rupture between them was
open ijossip, so neither took any precau
tions about guarding against remarks on
the fact of their not speaking.
Sheila Fraser was with the countess;
in fact, she was staying with the Dales'
waters. There was a younger brother of
the earl's whom Gladys had destined
should win and use the Fraser thousands
for this reason, and because she knew
that Sheila was an implacable foe to the
girl who had dared to thwart her plans,
and who she determined In her imperious
fashion should yet be made to suffer.
(To h viT)tlnii"d.
An a Reminder.
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"How's that?" queried the landlady.
"The moon," explained the d. & b.,
"is subject to an occasional change,
you know,'V , . , ; - ;
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the American desert which lies In Ne- birth of each of her children, when she
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the train crews to give them water to It happened when the youngest son
drink. The law makes it a felony to of the German royal family was an In
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Tokio is a hundred years older than
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Nearly one-fifth of the students
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at
"THE MARRYING SQUIRE."
Justice Geo. E. Law, of Brazil, Ind ,
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